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Asun peppered goat
Àsun: Ekiti's smoky grilled goat, chopped small and tossed in a fiery scotch-bonnet and onion sauce
Asun started in Ekiti, where goat was roasted whole over an open fire, and it has become the star of Lagos owambe parties and Friday evenings at the bar. Skin-on goat is boiled with seasoning until just tender, grilled until smoky and charred at the edges, chopped into bite-size pieces, then tossed in a hot sauce of scotch bonnet, onion and a little oil. It is chewy in a good way, smoky and very spicy, eaten on its own, with jollof rice or with cold drinks. Cook the goat until tender and no pink remains. Chef's tip: dry the boiled goat well before grilling; wet meat steams and never takes on the charred, smoky flavour that makes asun.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the goat
- 2 ¼ lb goat meat, skin onbone-in, cut into 5 cm pieces
- 2 onions1 chopped for boiling, 1 sliced for the sauce
- ⅔ oz fresh gingergrated
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups water
For the pepper sauce
- 5 scotch bonnet chilliesor to taste
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb goat meat, skin on in a pot with 1 onions (the chopped one), ⅔ oz fresh ginger, 3 garlic cloves, 2 stock cubes, 1 tsp dried thyme and 1 tsp salt. Cover and steam over a medium heat for 10 minutes, then add 2 cups water.
10 minStep 2: Simmer, covered, until the goat is just tender but still holds its shape, and the stock has reduced well. Drain, keeping a ladle of stock.
40 minStep 3: Pat the goat dry with paper towels. Heat a grill to high, or light a charcoal barbecue, and grill the pieces, turning, until charred in spots and sizzling.
12 minStep 4: Chop the grilled goat into 2–3 cm pieces with a heavy knife or cleaver, cutting through the bone where needed.
5 minStep 5: Roughly blend 5 scotch bonnet chillies and 1 red bell pepper; keep the paste coarse.
2 minStep 6: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat and fry the sliced 1 onions until soft at the edges. Add the pepper paste and fry, stirring, until the raw smell has gone and the oil separates.
6 minStep 7: Add the goat and a splash of the saved stock and toss until every piece is coated and glossy and the sauce clings. Serve hot.
4 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does asun peppered goat take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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